PANAJI
Trying to justify the delay in the issue of Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS) pension, Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai said that the payout under the scheme to senior citizens, disabled persons and widows has been delayed for a period of six months to a year in the past.
Phaldesai also said that he would take up the issue of delay in the issue of pension money to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, adding that he also directed his department's field assistants to carry out a survey to cull out persons who are no longer eligible for the financial benefit under the populist scheme.
"This is not the first time that the DSSS pension is pending. It has happened in the past when it was pending from six months to a year. There was a lot of burden on the people due to Covid. Just now we are coming out of that and I feel that the government has a commitment to release this money to old age people, disabled and widows," Phaldesai said.
Phaldesai also conceded to a nearly three-month delay in the payment of the pension.
"For the last three months, the payments have not been done. I am aware of it and we are trying to release all pending payments and we are conducting a survey at the same time, wherein, if there are people still who have not applied or have no birth certificate. I have directed all my field assistants to go house to house and find out in all the villages how many disabled persons or old aged people have not (signed up for the pension)," he said.
"As of today, we have 1.38 lakh beneficiaries of DSS. There are many who are in service but their parents avail of the DSSS. All those whose income is (more than) Rs 24,000 per annum are not eligible for this scheme. So we are in the process of looking out for such people whose income has eventually gone beyond the limit. If they are taken off the scheme, then we can take others in," he said.
When asked if the survey was the cause for the delay in the payout, Phaldesai said: "Delay is not because of that. This is my initiative which I have taken".
